Treatment apparatus



' Aug 22, 1933- J. B. KNIGHT Er Al. 1,923,098

TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1930 A aovnuo.

`Patented ug. 22, 1933 TREATMENT APPARATUS James B.

Knight and Albert J. Rainey,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 19, 1930. Serial No. 462,285

1 Claim. (Cl. 166--1)-A This invention relates to apparatus for use inthe treatment of oil, gas, water, and other fluids whether in wells oropen streams. The invention-is more particularly an improvement on the 5apparatus for conserving gas, oil, and other fluids, disclosed in Patent1,472,009, issued to James B. Knight, on October 23, 1923.

One of the objects is to provide apparatus which is particularlyv usefulwhere it is desired to inject substances into wells, pipe lines, etc.,for the purpose of sealing cracks, fissuresetc. present therein. 1

A still further object is to provide apparatus which. can be used fordirecting treating substances into wells and the like for the purpose ofcleaning them from undesirable deposits.

Another object is to provide` apparatus having a novel arrangement ofvalves and pipe connections by means of which the direction of flow offluids through the system can be reversed at will, it being possible,during a continuous operation of the apparatus, to change the volume,direction and velocity of the flow of fluids, change the character ofthe fluids used, varr the temperature of the fluids, and perform otheroperations desirable in carrying out the treatment of fluids and of thewells, etc., from which they are being drawn. A further object is toprovide a novel arrangement of pipes and .valves whereby treatmentmaterial can be directed into the well and caused to flow in either oftwo directions at will, the operation being effected without admissionof air to the circuit.

With the foregoing and other .objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the arrangement andcombination of parts and in the details of constructions hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The accompanying drawing is a view, in diagram, showing the pipeconnections between the treatment apparatus and a casing head such asused in a compound open circuit as illustrated in the patenthereinbefore mentioned.

Referring to the figure by characters of reference, 4 is a housing whichcan be divided into non-communicating compartments 7, 8, 9, and 19,respectively. Each compartment has a cover 11 for sealing the topthereof.

Located beneath compartment 7 is a delivery l pipe 19 and arrangedbeneath each of the compartments 8, 9, and l0, is a pipe 57 extending tothe bottom of the compartment ther-cover. This pipe 57 is provided witha valve 58 which, when turned in one direction, will establishcommunication with the bottom of theA compartment 6o thereabove and,when moved to another position, will close communication, The valve canalso be turned to a third position for the purpose of `establisl'iingcommunication between the bottom of the compartment thereabove and anoutlet nippie 59. l

The treatment apparatus has been shown in the diagram connected to acompound open circuit system such-as disclosed, for example, in thepatent heretofore mentioned. In this drawing a manifold has beenindicated at 67, the same being connected by branch pipes 68 to gaswells or the like such as indicated at 69 where fluid is to be drawn outor where treatment is 'to be effected. y I

' At 70 there has been shown the casing head of a well to be treated,the casing 71 of which contains an injector pipe 72 about which isarranged a tubular shell 73. The well tubing is located around the shelland within the casing and the, preferred construction of this part 'ofthe invention corresponds with that disclosed in the patent to Knightheretofore described. A T-iitting is connected to the casing head 70 asshown at 74 and has an outflow pipe 75 pro- 85 vided with a valve 76. Apipe 77 opens into the casing head 70 and has a valve 78. The injectorpipe 72 communicates with the manifold 67 and has spaced valves 79 and80. Between the valves are branch pipes 81 and 82. The pipe 81 opens 90into the outflow pipe 75 between the T fitting 74 and the valve 76 -andhas a valve 83 for controlling the now of fluid. Pipe 82 connects thepipe 77 to the injector pipe 72 at a point between the valves 79 and 80and this pipe 82 also has a 95 controlling valve 84.

The direction of flow through each well of fluid with treatmentmaterial, is controlled by the valves 79, 83, and 84. By means thereofthe flow into the well can be quickly reversed and at the' same time theadmission of air with its deteriorating effects is prevented.

Under certain conditions it is desirable to provide pipe connectionsbetween the valves 58 and the casing heads 69. Such connections havebeeny indicated at 85. Pipe 77 can constitute an extension of one of thepipes 85. Obviously all of the pipes 85 can be connected to onecompartment 8, 9, or 10, or they can be connected to diierentcompartments, this depending uponthe nature 110 of the treatments towhich the well or the like is to be subjected.

It is intended to place in the compartments 7, 8, 9, and 10, materialsto be used for treating gas, oil, or other fluids, in wells, pipe lines,etc. It is intended to place finely comminuted bulk material in thecompartment 7 while the remaining compartments can contain fluids ofdiilerent viscosities and having dierent properties as sealing, andtreating substances.

By closing communication between the several compartments and the wellsof the system, the compound open circuit system can be operated as hasbeen described in the patent before mentioned. In other words, it ispossible to convey gas or other fluid under pressure from active Wellsor the like to `inactive or only partly active wells where the pressurecan be used to operate the wells without the use of pressure which wouldotherwise have to be provided for that purpose by auxiliary means.

Should it be desired to use the preparation contained in any one of thecompartments, for the purpose of treating the contents of a well orsealing ssures therein, it merely becomes necessary to actuate theproper valve 58 tocause a portion of the material to ow from theselected compartment to the well to be treated.

What is claimed is:

A compound open circuit system including a manifold for distributingfluid under pressure, a well casing, a casing head, a shell suspended inthe casing and head,'a fluid discharge line in communication with theupper end of the shell, an injector pipe extending from the manifolddownwardly within the shell for conducting gas under` pressure to thecasing, spaced valves in said pipe, branch pipes extending from theinjector' pipe between said valves and opening into the outflow pipe andthe casing head respectively, a valve in each branch pipe, and a valvedinlet pipe opening into the manifold, the valves in said injector pipeand its branch pipes constituting means for quickly changing thedirection, volume and velocity of flow to the casing from the manifold.

JAMES B. KNIGHT. ALBERT J. RAINEY.

